Educational puzzle.



PATENTED JfiLY-za. 190's.

- E. s. COBB.

EDUCATIONAL PUZZLE. APPLIOATION ITILBD HA3. 8, 1901.

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. PATENTED JULY 28; 1903.

vE. s. COBB. EDUCATIONAL PUZZLE. APPLICATION FILED MAR B 1901 1T0 MODEL.

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No. 734,821 PATENTED JULY 28, 1903. Y

B. S. COBB.

EDUCATIONAL PUZZLE.

APPLICATION TILED nun. 8. 1901.

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1 UNITED STATES A-TENT Patented .l'uly 28, 1963;.

FFICE.

EDUCAl'IONAL PUZZLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 734,821, dated July 28,1903. Application filed March 8 1901. filerial No. 50,393. (No model.)

T at whom it may concern: 1

Be it known that I, EDWARD S. COBB, a citizen of the United States,residing at Los Angeles, in thecounty of Los Angeles and State ofCalifornia, have invented a'new and useful Educational Puzzle, of whichthe following is a specification.

The object of this invention is to provide a novel appliance adapted forthe instruction of pupils in addition and which willexercise the mentalfaculties and hold the inter est and attention and will afford means fortraining in theexercise of patience and accuracy in the addition andsubtraction of figures.

This puzzle can be made up in several different arrangements, in some ofwhich the solution is very simple and within the range of pupils oftender years, while others have increased difficulties of arrangementand become suitable and interesting for older persons.

This puzzle com prises a series of coaxial rings furnished,respectively,with a plurality of numbers spaced apart on their.respective q rings in the divisions of a circle, the number of saiddivisions corresponding to the number of rings, thus to form rows ofnumbers when the rings are turned in appropriate position, the numbersrunning from unity to the square of the numberofrings, inclusive, andsaid numbers being positioned on their rings, respectively, to-form,when the rings interest and encourages the operator to solve areappropriately positioned,columns whose respective sums shall be equal toeach other.

Preferably the several sums of the numbers on the rings, respectively,of any one puzzle will be equal to each other and alsoequal,

respectively, to the sum of the numbers in their respective columns.This arrangement is preferred, for the reason that it adds to the thepuzzle. Y

The accompanying drawings illustrate my newly-invented puzzle in variousforms.

Figure 1 shows asimple form of the puzzle furnished with four rings,each having four numbers, and the total numbers running from 1 to 16,inclusive. Fig. 2shows five rings, each of which is furnished with fivenumbers,the numbers of this puzzle'runjningfrom unity'to 25, inclusive.In Figs. 1 and 2 the'parts are shown in the position ;with the puzzlessolved, wherein the columns respectively add to the same sum. Figs. 3,and 4 show the said puzzles, respectively, as they may appear whendis-arranged. Fig. 5 is a cross section showing the preferred method ofconstruction. Fig. 6 shows a very simple form of the puzzle. Figs. 7, 8,9, and -10 show the puzzle with seven, eight, nine, and ten rings,respectively. Fig. 11 shows the puzzle with six rings. In Figs. 6 to 11,inclusive, the solutions of the respective puzzles is given.

In. the several views, a indicates coaxial .ringsyb, the numbersthereon. 0 indicates the columns of said numbers when the rings arebrought into position for the solution of the puzzle. The spaces betweenthe different numbers on each ring are each such an aliquot part of theperiphery of its ring as the ring is a fractional part of the Wholenumber of rings, and the numbers on all the rings are so related to eachother that the sum of each column is equal to the sum of every othercolumn and also to the sum of the numbers on each of the rings. Therings are held coaxially of each other by any suitable pivot. InFig. 5 adesirable mode of construction is shown, in which cl indicates a pivotformed of a hollow rivet which is passed through the several rings a ofthe puzzle and through rigid washers (2, upon which the rivet isriveted. f indicates rubber washers interposed between the rigidwashers, respectively, and the rings and which I prefer to use for giving an elastic pressure to the superposed :rings upon each other, sothat the rings may be easily moved with a uniform resistance.

Preferably each puzzle is also provided with a character showing the sumof the numbers in the columns when the puzzle is solved. gin the severalviews indicates these characters.

When the puzzle is made as shown in Fig. 6, the chances of solution atthe first trial are as one to nine; when made as shown, in Fig. 1 thechances are as one to sixty-four; when made as shown in Fig. 2 thechances are as one to six hundred and twenty-five; when made as shown inFig. 11 the chances are as one to seven thousand seven hundred andseventy-six; when made as shown in Fig. 7

the chances are as one to one hundred and seventeen thousand six hundredand fortynine; when made as shown in Fig. 8 the chances are as one totwo million ninetyseven thousand one hundred and fifty-two; when made asshown in Fig. 9 the chances are as one to forty-three million forty-sixthousand seven hundred and twenty-one; when made as shown in Fig. 10 thechances are as one to one billion. For this reason in case of eachpuzzle having the higher numbers of rings a 'key should be obtainable bythe individual proposing its solution. It will be understood that thekey for each puzzle can be easily determined from the accompanyingdrawings by arranging in consecutive order the numbers found in anycolumn of the puzzle concerned.

It is not essential that the numbers in any puzzle run from unity; butthey must be such and so arranged on the rings that all the columns canbe made to add to the same sum at the same time.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates, is-- An educational puzzle comprising a series of perforatedrings of difierent sizes arranged one on top of the other, the smallerrings being on top and each ring being provided with numbers arranged ina circle near its'periphery, said numbers being so spaced apart thatwhen the rings are properly positioned, the numbers on the difierentrings will form columns, an eyelet through the perforations, a washer ateach end of the eyelet, and a rubber disk between each washer and itsadjacent ring, one of which disks is provided with a number to indicatethe sum of the numbers in the columns when the problem has been solved.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses, at Los Angeles, California, this2d day of March, 1901.

EDWARD S. COBB.

Witnesses:

J AMES R. TOWNSEND, JULIA TOWNSEND.

